ACISO – Business Association Ourém-Fátima, in collaboration with the Municipality of Ourém and the Shrine of Fatima and with the support of Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Centro de Portugal recently organised a workshop in India. This workshop provided an in-depth knowledge of Fátima in Portugal to be promoted as a religious destination. The delegation included João Gomes, sales manager, Fatima Hotels Group; Sofia Jorge, sales and marketing manager, Steyler Fatima Hotel, Congress & Spa; Helder Pimentel, sales manager, Quasar Travel; Domingos Neves, president of the Board, ACISO Business Association of Ourém – Fátima and Pedro Mafra, management advisor, ACISO Business Association of Ourém – Fátima.
Fatima is one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Fatima’s fame is due to the apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed by a miracle witnessed by 60,000 people known in the Catholic world as “The day the sun danced”.
Fatima now attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world, particularly on the pilgrimage days in May and October. The large torch-light processions in the evening are particularly impressive, often lead by Cardinals and Bishops. The pilgrims gather in Cova de Iria an enormous plaza where a little chapel was built and where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to the children.